GTA CEO Maame Efua Houadjeto Fires Back at Abeiku Santana Over ‘Unreachable’ Claims

Abeiku Santana wrote to the Tourism Minister, saying he could not access the GTA CEO for urgent official discussionsMaame Efua Houadjeto described herself as surprised and disappointed by her deputy's allegationsThe GTA CEO has put forward five measures she says will transform how the Authority's leadership communicatesGhana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!

A brewing tension at the top of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has spilt into the open, with Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto pushing back against claims by her deputy, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana, that she has been consistently unavailable for official meetings.

The dispute became public after Abeiku Santana, who serves as Deputy CEO responsible for Marketing and Special Duties, wrote to Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Abla Dzifa Gomashie on October 22, 2026, requesting her intervention.

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He argued that this had hindered his ability to secure timely guidance, approvals and decisions, affecting key areas including domestic tourism, special events and marketing.

Two days later, Houadjeto responded directly to the Authority's Board Chairperson. She strongly contested her deputy, Abeiku Santana's account, stating that she operates an open-door policy, particularly for executive and senior management staff.

Rather than simply defending herself, the CEO used her response to lay out five concrete proposals aimed at improving how the Authority's leadership works together.

These include holding regular executive meetings to discuss departmental priorities, creating a system for escalating urgent matters when scheduled meetings fall through, and ensuring that meeting requests are formally acknowledged and prioritised based on their urgency.

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She also called for clearer definitions of delegated responsibilities and approval procedures, as well as more frequent engagement among executive management members to prevent bottlenecks and keep decisions moving.

Houadjeto was careful to frame these measures as being about institutional improvement rather than a personal dispute with her deputy.

Despite the public nature of the exchange, the CEO struck a conciliatory tone, affirming her respect for Santana's contributions and her expectation that they would continue to work together productively.

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Earlier, YEN.com.gh wrote Abeiku Santana’s decision to choose Ghana over a $100,000 monthly salary in the United States or the United Kingdom.

The Ghana Tourism Authority deputy CEO said the country offers opportunities that many Ghanaians fail to pursue.

Santana argued that foreigners often act on problems that locals complain about, turning them into business opportunities. His remarks challenge the growing trend of young Ghanaians seeking better prospects abroad.

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Portia Arthur (Entertainment Editor) Portia Arthur holds a BA in publishing from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (2013). She has nearly a decade of experience in journalism. She worked as a Lifestyle editor for Pulse.com.gh for almost six years. She joined YEN.com.gh in 2022 as its pioneer fashion editor. She has also worked with celebrities and footballers in image consultancy and management. She has completed Google News Initiative News Labs courses and Advanced Lab courses in Advanced Digital Reporting, Fighting misinformation. She can be reached via email: portia.arthur@yen.com.gh